Amazing Progress....

Chance is progressing really well. It is really hard for me to put into words right now, on how well she is doing. I think I am in shock! She is absolutely amazing. I think she has to be the smartest horse I have ever worked with. I have never worked with a baby, let alone a Mustang baby. My horses came to me very greenbroke at the ages of 7 and 9. Yes, they were extremely green, but they weren't babies. So I knew going into this process, that it would be different. But I never realized how different it was going to be. What I mean by different is by how she is responding to everything I am doing, and I don't see her every day. I am able to get down to see her at least 2 days a week, sometimes 3 days. I have only been able to pet her for the last 3 days I have been to see her. Each time gets better and better. She just loves the human touch.

Remember the video where she nipped me? A few days after that, I went to see her, and she tried nipping me the whole time. At one point, I stuck my thumb out when she went to nip me, and she spun around and went running over to her mom. I think my thumb barely grazed her muzzle. But she came right back over to me after that. Yes, she did try to nip me again, but I would just stick my thumb out. I wasn't expecting what happened the next time I went to see her, which was on Saturday. We didn't get there until late in the day, the OH had to watch a college football game, which went into overtime. So it was around 5:15 p.m. when we arrived. She was in a separate corral from her mom, we are doing a slow weaning process. I have never had to wean a baby before, so I had contacted Tracey on how we should go about the weaning. She said she likes to do a slow weaning, which has been happening for a couple weeks now.

So we enter the corral, and Chance comes right up to us. She let me pet her right away. I had brought a lead rope and brush with me. I wanted to see how she would react to other objects, besides my hand. Before you know it, I was brushing her. She only moved her head slightly when I put the brush up to her, once she realized what I was doing with the brush, she was lovin' it! I was able to brush her neck, chest, shoulder, back and rump. She did get a little nervous when I went down her front legs. But she does that with my hand too. What amazed me even more, was that she never tried to nip me. All the times before, just petting her on the wither, neck and shoulder, she would try to nip. But not today. She didn't even try. So I decided to pull out the lead rope to let her sniff it and get used to it being around. She was very interested, and sniffed it and tried to pick it up. I very casually clipped it onto her halter. I knew that wouldn't be a problem, since the last time I had been out, I had to lower her halter down a hole, which she accepted really well. Plus I had been able to grab her halter and she didn't mind. Once I got the lead rope snapped onto her halter, she immediately tried playing with it. Babies! She scooted off for a couple seconds, then she tried playing with the lead again. I put pressure on the lead and it wasn't long before she was giving to the pressure. I released the pressure immediately. I did this a few times, then went back to brushing her. Still no nipping. You go baby girl!

I have to apologize for the terrible pictures. The evening sun was at a really bad angle for taking pictures. So my OH did the best he could. Here is my baby on the lead with the brush in my left hand.



I now have the brush in my right hand, and I'm brushing her neck.



She is totally accepting the brush on the side of her face. She's not moving her face around like she used too. Before when I would bring my hand up to her face, she would move her head from side to side, and way up in the air. This time she kept her head still.



I am brushing down her legs, which she isn't too into yet. But knowing baby Chance, she will accept this very quickly! In the background is her mom, Liberty.



After I brushed her all over, except all the way down her legs, we went back to some leading. She did so well! Every time I put a little pressure on the lead, she would take a step forward. I released immediately, and she got a good petting. She picked up so quick. Again, pressure, step forward, release. Good girl! She was totally getting it! She wasn't scared at all. She accepted the lead like it was nothing. I ended it right there. I took the lead, off and let her roam around. At one point my OH says "Lets go to the other side of the corral and see what she does". So we walk away to the far side. She immediately follows us over to where we went. She came to me. My OH made a comment that she was bonding with me. Yes, my baby is bonding with me! But she likes my OH too!



She looks so small next to my OH. But when you see the pictures of me next to her, she doesn't look that small. I guess when you are 6'2" and 205 lbs, then anything looks small!



Chance only tried nipping me once. Wow. Impressive, considering how many times she tried to nip a few days ago! Even with all the brushing I did, no nipping. I am so happy how everything is going. I am more than happy. She is doing so well. I never thought I'd be at this point with her. And if I was, I never thought I'd be brushing her, and having a lead rope on her already.

We will be bringing Chance home in 2 weeks. Can you feel the excitement? I absolutely can't wait!! Seriously! Only 2 more weeks of waiting! It'll probably be the longest 2 weeks of my life!